JAPAN: Doll fans gather in the historic city of Kyoto to participate in the city's newest craze

Record ID: 465604

  • Title: JAPAN: Doll fans gather in the historic city of Kyoto to participate in the city's newest craze
  • Date: 21st April 2007
  • Summary: ALTAR INSIDE SHOWROOM
  • Embargoed: 6th May 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVAARHGFL8XYOLWWTMYEFWF9O2HN
  • Story Text: A very elaborate doll called Superdollfie manufactured by Japanese doll maker Volks is gaining popularity among doll fans who say it is a an innovative and self-expressive pastime. In Tokyo's historic city of Kyoto lies a sacred place called "Angel's home" where people can meet goddesses, angels and even have the opportunity to tap into their creative selves. It may sound like a message from a cult, however this is what Japanese doll maker Volks claims of its unique and elaborate dolls' showroom in Japan's ancient city.
    Every weekend, a limited number of only one hundred doll fans who won highly competitive tickets huddle into its showroom and manufacturing factory to see their alter egos, or in other words, their beloved dolls called "Superdollfie" taking shape.
    Superdollfie, an amalgamation of doll and figurine, is a 60 centimetre tall (about 23 inches) and highly customized doll handcrafted by experienced craft workers.
    Each doll can have literally any of its body parts replaced, with fully functioning jointed legs, arms, palms and feet as well as wigs, eyes, ears and even eyelashes. Different body colours with hundreds of alternatives are also available and are all on sale and displayed in showrooms.
    Fans can choose their favourite eyeballs from more than thirty different colours and sizes and thousands of outfits and accessories including Japanese traditional Kimonos and wedding dresses or even jewellery and pierced earrings are available. The cost for these over-the-top accessories however, cost almost as much as the life size versions made for humans.
    The dollmaker Volks claims these customised dolls could make customers rediscover their alter egos, adding that any suppressed feelings, inhibited by physical appearances and social norms could be reflected onto the dolls.
    "We created this concept to seriously share the idea with buyers that a doll you purchase is not a mere lifeless doll but your alter ego by which you can expand your world," said Hideyuki Shigeta, president of Volks.
    In fact, the company never uses the term "sell" when a customer purchases one of their 60,000 yen (about 500 USD) dolls. Instead, they say that each buyer "meets with another self embodied in a doll".
    To materialise the concept, if a buyer requests, the company even holds a handover ceremony to finalise the purchase.
    It all takes place in front of an altar, where an enshrined doll goddess holds a baby dollfie and angels and buyers pledge to take good care of the dolls they purchased forever.
    "The reason I like Superdollfie is I can customise them and clothes to them and make my favourite outfits," said 20-year-old Rie Kito one of the many fans who visit the showroom to purchase body parts.
    "We, the fans, call those dolls our daughters. Actually they are members of our family," said 34-year-old Shinriki Manda, another die-hard fan.
    Superdollfie has been gaining popularity mainly among women in their twenties and forties in Japan. Its limited production models have been traded at a high price through online auctions. The company also has overseas branches in the United States and South Korea.
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